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Argumentative Essay Writing 101
Argumentative essay writing is one of the most common types of writing employed in schools and colleges. It is employed by instructors to gauge the research and writing skills of the students.Â
In simple terms, argumentative essay writing is about persuading readers and convincing them to agree with the writer’s point of view through arguments, evidence, and proof. Many writers make the mistake of thinking that an argumentative essay is an emotionally-charged piece of writing that tries to convince the readers by hook or by crook. The reality is the opposite of this notion.Â
One of the hallmarks of argumentative essays is their reliance on the structure to convey crucial information. Descriptive and narrative essays can follow a loose or no structure at all and they will still be able to connect with the readers. This is hard for an argumentative essay to accomplish.
There are different approaches to developing arguments and different types of argumentative essays to cover the topics and their scopes.
Rationale Behind Argument Building
An argumentative essay is as good as the argument it is based on. This is a fact that students should keep in mind because the quality and scope of the essay will depend on it. Argument building is both an art and a science, but before developing one, it is necessary to understand the rationale behind one.Â
Argument building allows writers to present their stance forcefully and make sure that the readers will understand it and agree with it without any issues. It also helps them in anticipating dissent and disagreement because it is at the heart of argumentative essay writing. In the end, argument building is the block or foundation that helps science and art progress academically.
Writing A Thesis Statement In 3 Simple Steps
A thesis statement is the distillation of the main idea or the stance of the writer expressed boldly and briefly. It is written in the introduction of the essay, mostly around the closing lines to bridge the introduction with the main body of the essay.Â
It is an essential part of every essay, especially an argumentative essay, because it will provide the writer’s stance to the readers. This section is dedicated to the writing of a thesis statement in an argumentative essay.
Ask A Question
The first step in writing a thesis statement is to ask a question. This is either explicitly asked in the topic of the essay or it can be assumed to get the answer. In schools and colleges, students mostly have to cover essays with clear topics in interrogative forms. If that is already the case with your essay, you can move forward to the next step.
Develop Your Answer
A thesis statement is about answering a question. As far as argumentative essay writing is concerned, a thesis statement is about showing the stance of the writer to the readers in a succinct form. Writers are advised to scour through both primary and secondary sources of data to find and strengthen their theses.
Refine It Into A Statement
Simply developing an answer to the hypothetical question is not enough. It should have the capability to cover the premise of the topic and the impact on readers’ convictions. The best thing to form a statement is to make it bold and brief with concrete wording. Otherwise, it will not be a thesis statement and writers would not get the desired effects from it.
How To Develop An Argument
Essay topics or problems often have multiple sides or dimensions to them. Before setting to write the whole essay, writers need to identify the main kernel of the idea and then work on it. This will make the following steps much easier for the writer as it will help him look at multiple sides.
Like literature review in a dissertation, argument building requires prior knowledge the writer puts to the test. That’s why before moving on to the main argument or stance, writers should identify one, in the beginning, to move forward in a certain direction. Brainstorming is the key to this step.
This is where the research and collection of necessary data begins. These days, a simple Google search can help writers come up with a simple yet elegant view of the problem. Still, it is best to look and curate for credible sources to check what has already been done in the field.
The original stance is often understandably incomplete, if not outright incorrect. Based on the research and uncovering of the latest data, writers should review and refine their stances to come up with a well-rounded argument. At this point, there is no need to edit out parts because this will be covered in the next step.
After covering the bases, it is time to convert the answer to the question into an imposing statement. This should directly answer the question and ensure that everything surrounding the main topic is covered and even directly answered. Also, it should have room to become better with further refinements and revisions.
An argumentative essay is often more about what is the wrong answer compared to the right answer. Writers need to cover all the counterpoints in the essay, whether they agree with them or not. This will also help them in coming up with better ways to elucidate a point through evidential information.
Importance of Argumentative Essay Writing
An argumentative essay is about convincing the readers or persuading them about a topic. Writers go through multiple steps to develop an argument so that readers become convinced about the topic. Argument building is a complete science where writers need to cover different bases surrounding a subject.
In this section, we have covered the importance of argumentative essay writing in this section.
Convincing Readers About A Stance
Readers go through an argumentative essay to get the answers to the questions put forward by the instructors. Many phenomena do not have simple positive or negative answers. For grey areas, writers need to come up with solutions by brainstorming and digging through credible sources. This skill helps students in their further studies and professional lives.
Persuading Scholars To A Particular Action
Argumentative writing is vastly employed in academics and fields because it helps writers to build a foundation beyond an established set of knowledge. Writers can persuade scholars to a particular action by highlighting the merits and showcasing the soundness of their arguments. This allows better understanding and development of the subject leading to exceptional truths about matters.
F.A.Q
What is the importance of knowing an argumentative essay or speech so we can use it in our real-life situations?
Argumentative essay writing is about forming a stance or erecting an argument based on facts and figures. When a writer employs all the academic tools to come up with solutions like these, they allow him to take better decisions in real-life situations including law, medicine, and so on.
What is the purpose of a conclusion in an argumentative essay?
A conclusion is the section of an argumentative essay where writers need to tie all the loose ends. They can reiterate the main argument with proof in the concluding remarks. This is true about the section as it helps the section be more readable and memorable for the readers.
Why ask a question in the beginning an important part of argumentative writing?
Asking a question, in the beginning, is important because writers need to come up with a solution in the first place. This could be difficult when they do not know what is the problem or the question. That’s why asking a question sets a premise and draws lines between different sections, resulting in a better grip on the topic.
What is the purpose of an argumentative paragraph?
The purpose of argumentative writing is simple – to convince or persuade readers about a certain stance or point of view. Whether you are writing an essay or a paragraph, it helps writers to know the purpose behind the toil.
What is the main point of an argument?
The main point of an argument is that it presents a solution or an answer to a problem. In addition to this, the argument also involves showing the readers that a certain answer is the best answer. But writers can acknowledge other solutions without decommissioning their own.
What are three important things to include in an argumentative paper?
Here are three main things that must be included in an argumentative paper:
- Asking a question
- Developing an answer
- Refining the answer into a statement
Summing It Up
Writing an argumentative essay is about convincing the readers about a particular problem or question. It is different from other essay types as it sticks to a strict structure and format to convey a point. It requires a lot of research and the collection of relevant data to ensure that arguments are well-founded.
In this blog, we have covered multiple aspects of writing an argumentative essay, including the importance of argument writing. Students will find it extremely helpful in developing a thesis statement in simple steps. In addition to this, we have covered the section where writers can learn how to develop an argument.
If students ever stumble upon writing an argumentative essay, this is the definitive guide to cover all the bases and secure maximum marks!
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